The present invention generally pertains to injection molding a tie that is useful for forming a loop for retaining a bundle of elongated articles, such as cables, and is particularly directed to injection molding a particular design of such a tie. According to such particular design, the tie includes an elongated tongue with two ends and two broad sides, a locking head at one end of the tongue, a tip at the other end of the tongue, a first set of ratchet teeth extending along one broad side of the tongue and a second set of ratchet teeth extending along the other broad side of the tongue; wherein the locking head has sides defining an opening for receiving the tip of the tongue to form said loop, including a movable pawl that is hinged at one side of said opening and with an abutment surface on the opposite side of said opening from the pawl; wherein the pawl has at least one pawl tooth disposed for engaging the first set of ratchet teeth when the tip of the tongue has been inserted through said opening with the second set of ratchet teeth facing the abutment surface, wherein the pawl, when the at least one pawl tooth is so engaged, is movable toward the abutment surface in response to pressure applied to the tongue in a direction opposite to the direction of said insertion in order to force the second set of ratchet teeth against the abutment surface; and at least one stationary tooth disposed on the abutment surface and having an apex for engaging the second set of ratchet teeth when the second set of ratchet teeth is forced against the abutment surface to thereby in combination with the at least one pawl tooth hold the tongue in the locking head when pressure is applied to the tongue in the direction opposite to the direction of said insertion. This particular design of tie is preferred because the combined engagement of ratchet teeth on both sides of the tongue enhances the retaining function of the tie. Such a tie is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,473,524 to Paradis and 5,146,654 to Caveney et al.
Heretofore, it has not been considered practical to injection mold such a tie because it has been thought that such a tie could not be ejected from a mold following solidification of the tie without damage to the at least one stationary tooth unless the mold parts were separated at the portion of the mold cavity defining the apex of the at least one stationary tooth.